MSUCOM Student's Invention Brings Mobile Devices into the Surgical Field, WVSOM Offers Elective in Culinary Medicine, and More in Campus Roundup
Published May 13, 2019
2019
ATSU-KCOM Holds Annual Disaster Simulation
A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) held its annual Advanced Disaster Life Support mass-casualty simulation Saturday, April 13, 2019. The Advanced Disaster Life Support elective course is offered to ATSU and Truman State University students and is taught by ATSU faculty, Truman faculty, and ATSU-KCOM second-year students who have taken both the basic and advanced courses. The course spans three days, with each day consisting of lectures and activities designed to prepare emergency personnel for mass casualty disasters.
The course culminated April 13 with a vehicle extraction exercise and personal protective equipment demonstration led by Kirksville Fire Department, and the mass casualty event was held in the afternoon simulating a tornado disaster. The simulation required students to assess injuries, prioritize patients, organize, and distribute minimum supplies. Students had to accommodate for a situation in which there were more patients than available hospital beds and supplies. Read more.
ATSU-SOMA Students, Faculty Provide Free Sports Screenings for High School Athletes
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) students, faculty, and staff recently provided free sports physicals to more than 1,300 high school student athletes in Glendale, AZ through a partnership with Team of Physicians for Students (TOPS). Student athletes from 50 schools in two school districts were bused to the event. Ysenia Lopez from Student Affairs coordinated scheduling for more than 250 volunteers from ATSU, Midwestern University, Steingard Medical Group, HonorHealth, and OrthoArizona.
TOPS is a Phoenix-area nonprofit organization that provides free sports physicals, including cardiac assessment, to junior college and high school student athletes in underserved communities. For most high school athletes, passing a sports physical is mandatory. However, many students can’t afford a costly doctor’s visit. TOPS strives to alleviate this burden so more students can enjoy the social, emotional, and health benefits of sports.
ICOM Students Host Blood Pressure Screening and OMM Clinic at Local YMCA
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)'s student doctors held a free blood pressure screening clinic and performed supervised osteopathic manipulative treatment on interested community members May 7 and 9 at a local YMCA.
The experience, designed to introduce student doctors to the local community, is the product of a partnership between ICOM and the Treasure Valley YMCA.
LUCOM Hosts Southeast Regional Student American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine Conference
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) hosted the 2019 Southeast Regional Student American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine (SAOASM) conference at the Center for Medical and Health Sciences (CMHS) on Liberty University campus.
LUCOM-SAOASM hosted the conference and provided four lectures during the morning. Registered attendees heard from Bradley Haupricht, MD, a sports medicine physician for Liberty University’s Athletic Department, who spoke on overuse conditions of the upper extremity; David A. Titcomb, PT, DPT, EP-C, Director of the Undergraduate Exercise Science Program at Liberty University Department of Health Professions, who spoke on bridging the gap between physicians and physical therapists; and Del Bolin, MD, PhD, a Professor of Family Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Sports Medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), who spoke on osteopathic considerations of common running problems. Read more.
MSUCOM Student’s Invention Brings Mobile Devices into Sterile Settings
Doctors can now have access to critical information on their smartphones without compromising hospital health codes. A student from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) officially launched CleanCase, the first device-specific, fully FDA-compliant product that allows surgeons to safely bring mobile devices into the surgical field.
Surgeons bring mobile devices into the surgical field for two main reasons: to capture media for medical records and to use mobile medical applications. The CleanCase cover, developed with investment from Red Cedar Ventures and Quantum Medical Concepts, uses patented technology that allows surgeons to have full mobile device functionality without endangering patient safety. Read more.
NYITCOM at Arkansas State Students Shave to Save
Heads were shorn, pies were thrown, and, most importantly, thousands of dollars were raised for a great cause as New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) students hosted the second-annual “Shave to Save” on April 19 in Arkansas. Through the event, NYITCOM students raised more than $8,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the world’s largest private funder of childhood cancer research.
Student doctors solicited donations from friends and family. Many of those who reached their fundraising goal shaved their heads, while others cut their hair short and donated their locks to organizations that make wigs for cancer patients. Several NYITCOM faculty members, including Dean Shane Speights, DO, took whipped cream pies to their faces after reaching their goals. Additionally, local restaurants Tacos 4 Life and Newk’s hosted fundraisers through which they donated a portion of one evening’s receipts to St. Baldrick’s.
NSU-KPCOM Establishes Postbaccalaureate Program at New Campus
The Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) is always seeking ways to provide essential educational programs for interested applicants. The latest addition to KPCOM’s academic mix is an on-site postbaccalaureate certificate program, based at the Tampa Bay Regional Campus, which will accept its inaugural cohort of about 50 students in the fall of 2019.
The two-semester program is geared toward KPCOM applicants who met the minimum required Medical College Admission Test score, but were not admitted into the DO program because they had lower GPAs than students who were accepted. The program, which will bolster these students’ knowledge in anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, immunology, and microbiology, will also offer a course focusing on study skills. Students achieving a 3.6 average will automatically matriculate into the DO program. Those obtaining a 3.3 to 3.5 average will be granted an interview into the program.
Four Heritage College students named OhioHealth Physician Diversity Scholars
Four first-year students from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)’s Athens and Dublin campuses have been named the college’s newest participants in the OhioHealth Physician Diversity Scholars Program. A fifth student was selected to be an alternate. The program aims to encourage, guide, and support medical students from underrepresented minority backgrounds by pairing them with physician mentors from the OhioHealth system.
Chosen this year to join the program were Ana Aguilar, Alanna Meadows, and Aichetou Waiga from the Heritage College, Athens, and Daniella Owusuwaah from the Heritage College, Dublin. The alternate is Princess Emeana from the Heritage College, Athens. Read more.
RVUCOM Students Participate in Cut Suit Week
Every year, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) students from the Military Medicine Track participate in Cut Suit Week, a large-scale simulation event hosted by Strategic Operations, Inc. (STOPS) at a state-of-the-art facility in San Diego, CA. This year's event brought together students from RVUCOM, Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM), A.T. Still University Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS), and Western University for a unique, hands-on learning experience alongside law enforcement personnel.
Students brushed up on their surgical skills at workshops before they were thrust into Hyper-Realistic™ training environments and simulations. They performed a wide range of medical procedures on the field and in the Emergency and Operating Rooms, including chest tube thoracotomies, deep wound packing, combat tourniquet application, intraosseous infusions, and more. In some scenarios, students also participated as standardized patients, experiencing first-hand how trauma can affect a patient before they receive medical treatment.
UNE COM Bands Together for Denim Day
Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), led by Kris Insardi, orchestrated a photo shoot on Wednesday, April 24, in honor of Denim Day, a national movement where people wear denim to show their support and raise awareness for survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse. Strategically staged at the heart of the student-filled Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences, MSFC was able to educate those unfamiliar with the movement and make an impact on campus.
COM students, faculty, and staff posed in front of the camera to make a statement as a community against sexual violence and domestic abuse. In conjunction with the photo shoot, MSFC collected donations for Caring Unlimited, a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to aid the eradication of domestic violence in Maine.
VCOM-Auburn Conducts Multidisciplinary Simulated Disaster Training Event
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) held its annual simulated disaster response training event on Friday, April 26. Students and faculty from the Auburn University (AU) School of Nursing, the AU Harrison School of Pharmacy, and the AU Social Work Program joined VCOM-Auburn faculty and medical students for this outstanding interprofessional collaboration.
Throughout the day, multiple simulated disaster scenarios began in the School of Nursing courtyard. The day’s victims were “in character” during the drills, using theatrical makeup to mimic various injuries. Students triaged and transported the victims from the scene to the Nursing School’s expansive Simulation Center, a simulated hospital setting. Under the watchful eye of faculty, students from the various disciplines worked together as care teams to sort, prioritize and treat the glut of patients. At the end of the simulated disasters, participants discussed and evaluated the drill in a debriefing.
VCOM-Carolinas Holds Research Day
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas (VCOM-Carolinas) hosted its fourth annual Research Recognition Day on April 26 with 260 registered attendees. This year, the Carolinas Research Day featured 46 posters, including seven from VCOM faculty. Ronald Moomaw, DO, FACN, Flight Surgeon and Psychiatrist at the Johnson Space Center, Edward B. Leof, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Medicine, and Erivan K. Haub, Family Professor of Cancer Research at the Mayo Clinic provided keynote lectures.
Juried presentations were followed by an awards ceremony, with 14 participants recognized for their achievements in the areas of Biomedical, Case Reports, Clinical Research, and Educational Research. The inaugural VCOM Researcher of the Year award was given to Jillian Bradley, PhD, who maintained an extramurally funded research program, successfully leveraged REAP funding into extramural awards, actively engaged students in research and produced proven scholarly output.
VCOM-Virginia SOSA Club Raises Funds for Child with Cleft Palate
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Virginia (VCOM-Virginia)’s Student Osteopathic Surgical Association (SOSA) gathered to play flag football and present a check for funds that they raised over $4600 during 2018-2019 to help with the tremendous cost of cleft palate surgery for a seven-year-old boy in Wytheville, VA.
All year, the students have been visiting local businesses in Blacksburg, VA and raising awareness by word of mouth to families and friends, selling t-shirts, and holding spirit nights at restaurants like Qdoba, Panera Bread, and Buffalo Wild Wings. This project has been planned and implemented for the past three years by the students and highlights the school’s commitment to the underserved in Appalachia, and especially in the southwest region of Virginia.
WVSOM Offers New Clinical Nutrition and Culinary Medicine Elective to Students
Students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) won’t be using their hands just for osteopathic manipulative treatment; they’ll be using them to cook healthy meals. The school offers a new elective for students that addresses clinical nutrition and culinary medicine. Five third- and fourth-year students took part in the two-week course that included a culinary lab where they received hands-on kitchen experience making plant-based dishes, classes that explained mindful meditation exercises through yoga, clinical visits with diabetic patients, exercise physiology information from a sports trainer at The Greenbrier, and nature hikes to identify edible mushrooms.
While nutrition is addressed in the school’s curriculum, the elective is the first time WVSOM has offered in-depth information about culinary medicine. In the first culinary lab, students Carrie Fox, Hayden Moore, Victor Rendon, Brittany Ross, and Jeff Spindel put on their aprons and tested their chopping skills to make cucumber salad, black-eyed pea salad and wheat spaghetti with lentils. The students were under the guidance of WVSOM O’Cafe chefs Adam Sydenstricker and Paul Ciciora.